


Back to Normal

by Poison_writes



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: Doug Eiffel Needs a Hug, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minkowski is good commander, Post-Episode: 52 Constructive Criticism, and friend of course, no beta we die like man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:41:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poison_writes/pseuds/Poison_writes
Summary: Even after talking things through with Minkowski and Lovelace, Eiffel is still not quite alright.OREven though he can be an asshole, I feel like Eiffel deserved better than just 'get your shit together'.
Relationships: Doug Eiffel & Hera, Doug Eiffel & Renée Minkowski
Kudos: 37





	Back to Normal

**Author's Note:**

> Also just in with a reminder that English is not my first language so I apologise in advance.

Eiffel was, well, working is one way to describe it. He was going through all communication hardware there was on the Hephaistos trying to see if there was any way to improve it, boost it a little. However, he knew there wasn’t. Mostly because this was the third time, he had done this. Better way to describe what he was trying to do is that he was just seeking distraction. Or trying to hide from the rest of the crew. After their little talk he stopped avoiding them in too obvious way. He joined them at meals and even tried to have as much small talk as all this aliens and space stuff allowed. But he still preferred to spend most of his time alone. Facing the consequences for his actions was hard, mostly because he was pretty sure he wouldn’t even notice he was doing something wrong again. All of this reminded him too much of his old life on earth.

He tried to push back all of the self-pity for the most time he had spent on the Hephaistos, but everything just came back crushing in these last few weeks. Burrowing in loneliness seemed to him like much better option than having anyone see him in this pathetic glory.

He was too deep in his thoughts to notice the sounds of someone moving closer to him through the station, until the sound of doors opening behind him ripped him back to full consciousness.

‘Commander,’ he greeted his crewmate as he turned around. ‘Anything you need me for?’ he said, almost apologetic. ‘Another crisis? Are we all dying painful and horrible death anytime soon?’

‘Cut the crap Eiffel,’ Minkowski said, her was stern in a way only she could speak.

Eiffel immediately felt his constant level of anxiety and guilt rise even more. ‘I can only assume I’m in trouble?’

‘You are still avoiding us,’ Minkowski cut right to subject. She wasn’t one to talk around something that was on her mind.

‘Am not!’ Eiffel yelped out in self-defence, but it came out rather panicked. ‘I’m just doing my thing in this part of station, while you are doing something somewhere else. You know, the usual. The station is big and there is only so little of us that can keep it running. So if you please, let me get back to repairs. You are reading too much into this.’

‘Am I though?’ Minkowski crossed her arms on her chest. ‘Because I for a fact know that you are doing pretty much the same ‘repairs’ you’ve been doing for past three weeks. And the communication systems, as they did three weeks ago, seem to be doing pretty much perfectly fine.’

‘Gee, thanks a lot, Hera,’ Eiffel hissed at the station’s mother program. He was cornered and defeated. So, they were having the talk again.

‘I’m sorry, officer, but there is something going on with you. I’m siding with commander on this one,’ Hera obliged. ‘We are worried about you,’ she added to sound less aggressive. This wasn’t about guilt tripping Eiffel, but finally figuring out what’s going on.

‘God, what is this, an intervention?’ Eiffel sighed.

‘Something like that, yeah,’ Hera agreed.

‘So, won’t you share with the class what’s on your mind, Mr Eiffel?’ Minkowski’s tone softened a little, not like it soothed Eiffel’s anxiety.

‘Nothing, it’s nothing, really,’ Eiffel felt like he’d rather die than open up in that moment. ‘I’m doing what you want me to. I come to breakfast like nothing happened, I sit down with you, I talk to you. What’s the problem?’

‘Oh yeah, the super generic stuff about the station’s state is considered talking to us now? Heck, I haven’t heard a single pop cultural reference from you in weeks!’ Minkowski was desperate. For once Eiffel would actually shut up for some time, but in the worst situation imaginable.

‘Well, what do you want me to say?’ Eiffel pushed himself into a chair. Sitting down wasn’t the easiest task in zero gravity but he managed it gleefully after months of practice. He let his head fall in his hands and tugged at his hair a little.

‘Just talk to me, goddamn it!’

‘Except I can’t!’ Eiffel would snap but he suddenly felt too tired for it. ‘There is no way out for me in this. Either I go back to where I was before, go to breakfast everyday like nothing happen, smile and make stupid jokes and stop thinking too much about what I say and hurt every person that I care about. Or, or (!) I just avoid you and try to minimalize the damage. I can’t pretend nothing’s going on, but I can’t talk to you or even let you know because I know that you have so many worse problems on your hands right now than me being butt hurt. And the worst thing is that this whole mess is my own damn fault, because I’m still the same fucking awful person I was back on earth and there is nothing I can do to change that no matter how hard I try.’ Eiffel’s voice was getting more erratic with each sentence until he sounded like he was on the verge of tears. ‘I just-. I’m sorry, alright? The best thing you can do is just leave me alone until this shit show passes.’

‘Doug,’ Minkowski said, her voice gentler now, as she tried to kneel in front of him so she wouldn’t have to tower over him as they talked. ‘It’s alright, really.’

But it wasn’t. Or at least Eiffel didn’t feel that way. 

‘Listen,’ Minkowski continued. ‘You, most certainly, are hard to deal with and you are incredible pain in the ass at times.’

‘Gee, commander, you certainly know how to lift someone’s spirit,’ Doug’s voice was quiet, without his usual spark of sarcasm to it.

‘But,’ Minkowski raised her voice, much like mildly irritated kindergarten teacher, ‘It doesn’t make you a bat person. And sure, you don’t always watch your mouth and sometimes it can hurt people that care about you, but they won’t just give up on you for that.’ She gently laid her hand on Eiffel’s forearm to emphasize her words even more. ‘That being said, this doesn’t mean you should stop trying to be better. And trying is just enough now.’

‘Yeah, but is it? Because so far just trying haven’t exactly worked well for me.’ Eiffel was still looking down, purposefully avoiding the other’s gaze.

‘Well, now you’ve got some friends to help you with that. Maybe I could like, spray you with cold water every time you pronounce my name wrong?’ She chuckled a little to that idea. And so finally did Eiffel.

‘Yeah, I guess that could work.’

Minkowski pat his arm gently. It was almost like a signal that the rare moment of vulnerability between the two of them was over. ‘Alright, now that this is settled, I need you to do some real work. We’ve been having some issues with thermo regulation, I need you to take a look at that. Hera can walk you through the process.’

‘Yes sir, right on it, sir,’ Eiffel stood up and saluted. Back to his usual self.

‘Excellent, I better get going,’ Minkowski turned around, heading to the door. 

Eiffel followed her. ‘Wait, um, there is one more thing.’

The commander turned around and raised her eyebrow, not quite mocking him, but rather giving him permission to speak.

‘Thanks for the wake-up call, Minkowski, I really needed that.’

Minkowski let out quiet laugh. ‘See, now that wasn’t so hard was it?’ He actually got her name right.

‘No, no. You are right. It wasn’t,’ Eiffel chuckled as well.

Whatever follow-up conversation they were about to have was cut off by loud obnoxious beeping noise.

‘Oh, for God’s sake,’ commander cursed. ‘What the hell is that, Hera?’

‘Uh, I didn’t want to disturb your,’ Hera searched for the right word for a second, ‘important conversation, but, I’m afraid our problems with thermo regulation had reached critical levels.’

That was just great, Minkowski now not only couldn’t have a single day without a crisis, but not even an hour. ‘And that means?’

‘You should probably go fix that or you’ll freeze to death in an hour or so.’


End file.
